Refrigerator Moms

Hosts Julianna Scott and Kelley Jensen welcome their own children, Ethan and Rosalie, to discuss the profound impact of growing up as siblings to neurodivergent family members. The conversation explores "glass child syndrome" - when siblings feel invisible due to the intense focus on a high-needs child. Through candid personal stories, they examine childhood anxiety, PTSD, depression, and the long journey toward healing. The siblings share what worked and what didn't in their upbringing,

The Refrigerator Moms podcast relaunches with this first episode. Julianna Scott and Kelley Jensen dive deep into the pervasive issue of mom guilt that plagues autism parents. Drawing from their 20+ year friendship and experience raising autistic children, they debunk the harmful "Refrigerator Mother Theory" while offering practical strategies for managing guilt and prioritizing self-care. The duo shares personal stories, actionable advice, and evidence-based approaches to help parents move

In this episode, Julianna and Kelley delve into the world of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a cornerstone of early intervention for autism. They discuss the history of ABA, its core principles (the ABCs: Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence), and how it differs from bribing. They address common myths and criticisms, including the use of aversives and concerns about intensity. They also offer practical advice for parents, including navigating insurance issues, finding quality therapists, and in...

Season 1 Episode 3: Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA): Autism by Any Other Name In this episode, we explore Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), a term describing behavior, primarily occurring in children with autism, who exhibit extreme resistance to everyday demands. We provide a comprehensive overview of PDA, its presentation, diagnosis, and debated etiology. Despite PDA not being an official diagnosis in the U.S. and only a proposed profile in the U.K., its legitimacy is growing withi...

A child yelling, shaking, and crying in public is nothing new, yet parents may find themselves struggling to understand whether their child is having a normal tantrum on the grocery store floor, or if their child is having a autistic meltdown or panic attack instead. While all three may present similarly, and all function as communication tools that have turned into outsized reactions, they differ wildly in their purpose. A parent’s job is to understand what the purpose is and how to resolve ...

In this episode, we aim to validate mom guilt while helping listeners make decisions without drowning in it. We'll focus on broadcasting access to support for parents of autistic children, defining actionable items, and identifying prioritization tools to help manage overwhelming feelings all through the lens of our own experiences and perspectives. This full episode includes actions and to-dos.#asd #parenting #parentingtips #momlife

In this episode, we aim to validate mom guilt while helping listeners make decisions without drowning in it. We'll focus on broadcasting access to support. Defining actionable items and identifying prioritization tools to help manage overwhelming feelings all through the lens of our own experiences and perspectives.